China Opens WAIC in Shanghai and Launches a Parallel AI Governance Body

The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference opened alongside the announced formation of a World Artificial Intelligence Organization whose founding members read as a deliberate alternative to Western-led governance efforts.

The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference opened in Shanghai on Thursday, confirmed by Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson @SpoxCHN_LinJian. The conference itself is an annual fixture, but this year it arrived paired with something more structurally significant: a new multilateral institution.

Unlock the full briefing

Get every story in today's briefing, the full archive, and the daily AI intelligence brief.

All stories today

Full archive

Daily brief

Cancel anytime. Payments powered by Stripe.